Axle bearing for railway vehicles



May 16, 1939. e. NEMETZ AXLE BEARING FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES Filed Feb. 5, 1937 Patented May 16, 1939 PATENT OFFICE AXLE BEARING FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES Gustav Nemetz, Vienna, Austria, assignor to firm Alex. Friedmann, Vienna, Austria Application February 5, 1937, Serial vNo. 124,302 InAustria July :25, 1936 8 Claims.

This invention relates. to. a lubricating device for axlebearings of railway vehicles, of the class whereinthe: casing ofthe'axle box is provided at its-outerend with a cover which restsupon ,q; this= casing along an inclined. plane and wherein azdisk'gaor the like rotatably mountedon this cover liits the oil from'a sump and feeds the same into narrow annular accumulatingspaces or grooves surrounding. the disk, wherefrom the oil is deliv- 10;' ered: to :the working. surfaces of the bearing.

Inlub-ricating devices of: the kind above refered to there isthe inconveniencethat, the oil lifted from. the sump is broughtinto contact and intimately mixed with the air in theinterior of 15;: the bearing before it enters into the said narrow spacesor. groovesso that air.is fedtogether with oilfltotheworking. surfaces. Due to this air admixed to the oil these surfaces are corroded and thesoilloses its lubricating, properties in a, short ;time.;. Moreover, it is difiicult to arrange said annular' spaces or'grooves in an air-tight manner andato prevent :air from entering into the same.

The present invention has for its'object toremove-the saidinconveniences and to providea lubricatingzdeviceaof the class above'referred to,

im lwhichrthe. oil liftedfrom the sump is immediately. fed into. said narrow accumulating spaces ongrooves so as to prevent a contact between the airandthe oilduring thewhole feeding. move- 3oz ment of thelatter. A further objectof the invention -is to provide and to arrange the said accumulatingspaces orgrooves in-an air-tight manner so that the oil passed through these spaces is effectively-protected from the access of air. A

35:. still further object of the invention is to arrange the-lubricating device-in such. a manner that it maybe easily mounted or dismounted. 7

Two embodiments of thepresent invention are illustrated. by way of example in the accompany- 40i ing drawing, in which Fig.1 is.;a;longitudinal vertical section through thebearing, according .to line il of Fig.2,

Fig. 2 showsthe cover of the bearing, asseen from the inside,

45%; .Figs. 3 and;4.show details,

Figrfnisa sectionaccording to, line 5-5 of Fig. 1

and: r

6 is a. partial longitudinal section similar to..that .of .:Fig. 1, showing. amodified constructional; form of the invention.

Ascshown in, Figs. 1. 005, theaxle journal. I rotates within thebearing substantially comprisingtheoasing 2, the bearing brass 3 and the cover resting upon. the casing [along a surface 5 whichis. situated in a -.plan e inclined to the axis of rotation, apacking ring l5 being interposed between the cover 4 and the casing 2. Upon a pin filcarried by the cover 4-,there is rotatably mounted ascooping disk 1 dipping into the oil sump Ill. As. shown in Fig. 4, this disk is provided with 5 four radially directedslots 8 into one of which engages a finger .9 secured to the axle journal I.

Theupper part of the cover 4 is provided with a. circular recess H thelateral surfaces I2 and I3 of which are perpendicular to the axis of rotation. 10

he left-hand lateral surface I2 (Fig. 1) extends around the axis of rotation and is formed in its .lowervpart on a projection 14 extending into the interior of the casing 2 from the cover 4. The recess ll receives the scooping disk I and a ring 15 I6 (Fig. 3) having an L-shaped cross-section and embracing the disk 7 at the right-hand side (Fig.

1) and at the periphery. The ring [6 is provided at the side adjacent to the disk 1 with two annular grooves l1 and I8 both. situated in the same cirole and extending from the lower inlet openings l9and'2ll dipping into the oil sump I0 upwardly to the outlet openings 2| in the ring Hi. The openings 2| are in alignment with channels 22 in the cover 4 and these channels are in turn in 25 alignment with channels 23 leading to the working surfaces of thebearing. The ring 16 is forced against the surface l2 of the cover by means of screws 24.

For the purpose of assembling the device the ring l6 together with the disk I is inserted into the recess H of the cover and then the ring l6 issecured to the cover by means of the screws 24; Thereafter the pin 6 is brought into position and fixed to the cover 4. Finally the cover together with the whole lubricating device connected thereto is applied to the casing 2 and secured thereon.

As shown in Fig. 1, the lower part of the scoop- 4O ing disk I, of the projection 14 and of the ring l6 together with its openings I9 and 20 dip into the oil sump. l 0. When the disk I is rotated by means of thefinger 9 in the direction according to the arrow in Fig. 2, the oil isfed by the disk 1 from the sump 10 immediately into the groove l'l through the opening 19 and since this opening is situated beneath the oil level air is not allowed to enter into the groove ll. The oil is accumulated and set under certain pressure within the groove 5 and is delivered therefrom through the opening 20, channels 22 and 23 to the working surfaces of the bearing. With this direction of rotation the other accumulating groove i8 is inactive. When the disk I is rotated in the opposite direction the oil is accumulated and fed within the groove it.

Through the accumulating groove IT or I8 which is inactive at a given moment a small amount of air is fed from the working surfaces to the oil sump- IB, especially at the beginning of the rotation. Also an excess of oil is refed in the same way to the sump. In order to prevent this air and this oil from directly entering into the active accumulating groove, the inlet openings l9 and 29 are separated from each other by downwardly extending projections 25 and 26 formed on the ring l6 and on the projection I4 of the cover 4 respectively.

In practice, the clearance between the disk 5 on the one hand and the surface I2 of the cover 4 and ring IS on the other hand cannot be made so small that an air tight seal of: the grooves l1 and I8 is obtained. In order to prevent air from entering into these accumulating grooves through this clearance, the ring I6 is provided with a circular rim 2'! projecting inwardly to the center of the ring l6 and confining an annular space 28 extending along the ring I6, thus separating this space from the interior of the bearing. This space which is open towards the axis of rotation of the bearing is situated partly on the right side, and partly on the left side of the disk I (Fig. 1) and these two parts of the space communicate with one another through a number of holes 29 in the disk. As it will be seen from Fig. 1, the annular space 28 is confined at its left side by the adjacent parts of the cover 4 and of its projection l4.

A small amount of oil set under pressure within the accumulating groove I! or I8 which is active at a given moment escapes inwardly from this groove through the gaps between the disk I and the surface l2 and the ring l6 and is carried around by the rotating disk 1 within the annular space 28. This oil being forced outwardly by the centrifugal force forms therefore an eflicient liquid seal thus preventing air from entering into the accumulating groove I! or l8. It is to be noted that the amount of oil circulating within the annular space 28 is also supplied by the oil delivered by the two channels 30. This oil first lubricates the pin 6 and then flows down along the inner side of the cover 4 and is accumulated in the annular space 28. As it is shown in Fig. 1, the inner edge of the rim 21 projects upwards at the lowermost point sufficiently beyond the level of the oil sump In so that oil is prevented from directly passing from the sump into the annular space 28, even if the bearing is inclined during the operation.

The lubricating device as shown in Fig. 6 is substantially constructed in the same manner as that described above. The scooping disk 1, however, is guided at its left-hand side not by a surface of the cover itself, but by a ring 3| interposed therebetween and it will be understood that in this case the projection M of the cover is unnecessary. The annular space 28 is formed between the rims 2'! and 2'! of the rings l6 and 3| respectively. The accumulating groove 32 embraces the disk 1 at its periphery, aswell as at its both lateral surfaces. The operation of this modified device is the same as that described abovein connection with Figs. 1 to 5.

What I claim is:

1. An axle bearing for railway vehicles, comprising a casing containing an oil sump, a cover resting upon this casing along an inclined plane and being provided with a recess on the inside of its upper part, a rotating oil lifting member carried by said cover and dipping into said oil sump, an annular casing secured to said cover and engaging into said recess, said casing surrounding said oil lifting member around its whole periphery and being provided with accumulating grooves at its inner side adjacent to said member, said grooves extending along the periphery of said member and having their lower inlet openings situated beneath the level of said oil sump, and channels to lead oil under pressure from the upper outlet openings of said grooves to the working surfaces to be lubricated.

. 2. An axle bearing for railway vehicles, comprising a casing containing an oil sump, a cover resting upon the casing along an inclined plane and being provided with a recess on the inside of its upper part, a projection extending downwardly from the hollow space of said cover into the oil sump, said recess being provided with an inner surface perpendicular to the axis of rotation which extends to said projection so that an annular surface is formed, a rotating oil lifting member carried by said cover and dipping into said oil sump, a ring surrounding said oil lifting member on one side around its whole periphery and being inserted in said recess and secured to said annular surface so as to make a tight joint thus forming together with this annular surface an oil lifting casing for said member, said ring being provided with accumulating grooves at its inner side adjacent to said member, said grooves extending along the periphery of said member and having their lower inlet openings situated beneath the level of said oil sump and channels to lead oil under pressure from the upper outlet openings of said grooves to the working surfaces to be lubricated.

3. An axle bearing for railway vehicles, comprising a casing containing an oil sump, a cover resting upon this casing along an inclined plane and being provided with a recess on the inside of its upper part, a rotating oil lifting member carried by said cover and dipping into said oil sump, two rings held Within said recess and surrounding said oil lifting member around its whole periphery, said rings being provided with accumulating grooves at their inner sides adjacent to said member, said grooves having their lower inlet openings situated beneath the level of said sump and closed channels connecting the upper outlet openings of said grooves with the working surfaces to be lubricated.

4. An axle bearing for railway vehicles, comprising a casing containing an oil sump, a cover resting upon the casing along an inclined plane and being provided with a recess on the inside of its upper part, a projection extending downward- 1y from the hollow space of said cover into the oil sump, said recess being provided with an inner surface perpendicular to the axis of rotation which extends to said projection so that an annular surface is formed, a rotating oil lifting member carried by said cover and dipping into said oil sump, a ring surrounding said oil lifting member on one side around its whole periphery and being inserted in said recess and secured to said annular surface so as to make a tight joint thus forming together with this. annular surface an oil lifting casing for said member, said ringbeing provided with accumulating grooves atits inner side adjacent to said member, said grooves extending along the periphery of said member and having their lower inlet openings situated beneath the level of said oil and being provided with a recess on the inside of itsupper part, a rotating oil lifting member carried by said cover and dipping into said oil sump, two rings held within said recess and surrounding said oil lifting member around its whole periphery, said rings being provided with accumulating grooves at their inner sides adjacent to said member, said grooves having their lower inlet openings situated beneath the level of said sump inwardly projecting rims on said rings so as to form an annular space therebetween, and channels to lead oil under pressure from the upper outlet openings of said grooves to the working surfaces to be lubricated.

6. An axle bearing for railway vehicles, com- I prising a casing containing an oil sump, a cover resting upon thecasing along an inclined plane 7 and being provided with a recess on the inside of its upper part, a projection extending downwardly from the hollow space of said cover into the oil sump, said recess being provided with an inner surface perpendicular to the axis of rotation which extends to said projection so that an annular surface is formed, a rotating oil lifting member carried by said cover and dipping into said oil sump, a ring surrounding said oil lifting member on one side around its whole periphery and being inserted in said recess and secured to said annular surface so as to make a tight joint thus forming together with this annular surface an oil lifting casing for said member, said ring being provided with accumulating grooves at its inner side. adjacent to said member, said grooves extending along the periphery of said member and having their lower inlet openings situated beneath the level of said oil sump, an inwardly projecting rim on said ring, running around the periphery of this ring so as to separate an annular space within this ring from the interior of the bearing, the lowermost point of the inner edge of said rim being situated above the level of said oil sump, and channels to lead oil under pressure from the upper outlet openings of said grooves to the working surfaces to be lubricated.

7. An axle bearing for railway vehicles, comprising a casing containing an oil sump, a cover resting upon this casing along an inclined plane and being provided with a recess on the inside of its upper part, a rotating oil lifting member carried by said cover and dipping into said oil sump, two rings held Within said recess and surrounding said oil lifting member around its whole periphery, said rings being provded wth accumulating grooves at their inner sides adjacent to said member, said grooves having their lower inlet openings situated beneath the level of said sump, inwardly projecting rims on said rings so as to form an annular space therebetween, the lowermost points of the inner edges of said rims being situated above the level of said oil sump, and channels to lead oil from the upper outlet openings of said grooves to the working surfaces to be lubricated.

8. An axle bearing for railway vehicles, comprising a casing containing an oil sump, a cover resting upon the casing along an inclined plane, a rotating oil lifting member carried by said cover and dipping into said oil sump, an annular casing secured to said cover and surrounding said oil lifting member around its whole periphery and being provided with accumulating grooves at its inner side adjacent to said member, said grooves extending along the periphery of said member and having their lower inlet openings situated beneath the level of said oil sump, a downwardly extending projection provided on said annular casing between said inlet openings so as to separate these openings from each other, and channels to lead oil under pressure from the upper outlet openings of said grooves to the working surfaces to be lubricated.

GUSTAV NEMETZ. 

